


I've Found My Way To Velvet Sands

by Ukthxbye



Series: drabbles and prompts [4]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Arguing, Beaches, Bioluminescence, Drabble, Emotions, Established Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Prompt Fic, Tumblr Prompt, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 15:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16478009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ukthxbye/pseuds/Ukthxbye
Summary: He meant this trip to be an apology unto itself. Not to be apologizing the whole time. Not that he was particularly skilled in the affect.Both had found themselves stretched mentally the last few months, attempting wedding planning with a double fold increase in work for both. They lost finesse in their interactions, small nips at the edges that turned into teeth bared and bite marks left on their psyches.As winter threatened in the bitter winds sweeping between London alleys, even Sherlock wished for a warmer respite. He cleared his obligations, waving his hand at protests from DI Lestrade. John seemed nothing but relieved.





	I've Found My Way To Velvet Sands

He meant this trip to be an apology unto itself. Not to be apologizing the whole time. Not that he was particularly skilled in the affect.

Both had found themselves stretched mentally the last few months, attempting wedding planning with a double fold increase in work for both. They lost finesse in their interactions, small nips at the edges that turned into teeth bared and bite marks left on their psyches. 

As winter threatened in the bitter winds sweeping between London alleys, even Sherlock wished for a warmer respite. He cleared his obligations, waving his hand at protests from DI Lestrade.  John seemed nothing but relieved.  

A mix of emotions fell across Molly, but she felt the same tug at her heart. To melt away the cold seeping in between them.   
All began pleasantly enough taking one of Mycroft’s planes to Puerto Rico, shedding wool for linen and unhurried lovemaking.

But the chill hid in the corners away from the sun and came out once again upon its retreat. As they left a restaurant, wine warmed, she embarked on wedding talk not knowing that it would bring back the teeth they both kept behind their lips since they arrived.   
  
“Do not traditional vows appeal to you?”  he asked flippantly.  “Why must we bare our private souls to a crowd as we promise ourselves to each other?  Its tactless in a manner of speaking. ” 

Her mind lit on fire and it spread to her eyes and mouth as they widened. She managed a scoffing laugh first, as she dropped his hand. 

“Ah, I see now.”

“What is that?”

To be honest with herself, it wasn’t a specific subject. Analogous with other symptoms of the poison.

She smiled, and his skin went cold.  Cheerless and estranged was its nature.  He grabbed her hand again, though the grip was not returned.

“We’ve lost the spark before we even say 'I do'”  she answered, the corners of her mouth drooping down once again.  

“Couples who lost their fire do not do what we did this morning,” he attempted, desperation hidden in his voice. His honesty once again moved the needle back.

She felt the air shift as he turned to embrace her, but she puts space between with a lifted hand and folded arms.

His chest ached at how easily he permits this from her. 

“We have never had issues in that area--”  she began.

“Does it not apply to everything else?” he searched her face for a change. 

She swallowed hard and looked down at her feet at his question. 

“You know love is not that simple or all its elements attached so easily. Or at least I think you do. There is a reason the Greeks had so many unique words for the different kinds,” she frowned, looking at his chest to avoid his gaze. She spied it sink with his sigh and it made her’s ache.   
  
Sherlock Holmes felt at a loss.  And he needed more time and words to smooth this out.  He scanned the area.  

“Walk with me on the beach there,” he urged, pulling her in the direction. 

He spied the blue glow in the low waves;  _a distraction perhaps?_  He hoped so.

Her face turned neutral and she laced her fingers in his.  Crossing the road carefully, slowly worn old steps traversed, he felt her gasp as she looks up to watch the waves light up.

He grinned as she let go of his hand, this time to take her shoes off to walk in the sand. He does the same, feeling the grains grounding him back to his senses. She took off in a steady walk straight to the water, he only a step behind her.  
  
“Oh my God, Sherlock,”  she breathed out finally, as her feet find the water's edge and it glows blue as it lapped on her toes.  

“It's almost supernatural,” she whispered, kneeling to play with the water with her fingers. “Like an illusion, it feels so unreal.”

Sherlock sniffed, “Nothing supernatural at all. In fact, its red tide which perhaps is not the most beneficial of--”

“Oh shut up.”

He paused mouth agape as his brow knitted. 

“Why must you always do this? No matter what it is Sherlock,” she huffed, withdrawing her hand from the water. 

He felt a helplessness swallow him as he noticed her eyes began to glitter in the dark. 

There was more, deeper, buried under like a shell in sand and water, he sensed it. But she kept pulling it back, not letting him in on the secret pain.

“Molly, speak your mind. I am weary of this game. I will write vows if this is what it is about,” his voice low and commanding.

She threw her head back, jaw clenched. 

“Simple things, Sherlock, oh so simple.”

“No, they are not, do not lie to yourself.”

“Really? You can’t even look at this wonder of nature and not find fault or...God, just damage the mood,” she grimaced at her the last words. 

“Molly…” he reaches out as he kneeled beside her and she smacked his hand away.

“Tell me now; you used to speak so freely and now you just swallow it all up and I am left with nothing to trace to the root causes,” he begged, his voice rising and dropping his chin to his chest. 

“I just…” she bit her bottom lip hard, pulling it to near blood. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you? No mystery unsolved without your deductions.”

He breathed in slowly, lifting his head to study her as he eyes slanted.

“What else did you expect from me, Molly?”

She looks down at the sand like it can give her answers. She wished its magic was real, like stars you could wish on as she runs her toes along with it to watch it glow for her.

What did she expect, she never expected anything before, happy with any pieces she got...but why does she want more?

She turns the ring on her left hand back and forth absently, and he stared, unsure what she would do with that emotional tic.

“Noctiluca, just algae, nothing magical about it, ” he pushed the subject.

“Then why bring me here at all, Sherlock?’ she gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut. Like she can will her near tears into anger.

“Because mystery does not require magic,” he replied in a quiet voice. “It loses none of its efficacy.”

Her brow furrowed in thought, but he continued his own.

“And that is something perhaps we both have forgotten. The inverse of each other in our errors.   
I forgot that mystery was unanswerable sometimes.  You forgot that answers are not always sought. ”

She let him grab her hand with no resistance, and he held it firmly into the water, guiding it gently back and forth as the sea lit up with each movement, their faces now visible in the dark, glowing blue.

“I know how the algae do this, that they need to either scare off or attract predators to eat those who would eat them. But I do not know why bio-luminescence is the method nature chose for them. But I am grateful for it. It is elegance in madness; survival with artistry,” he spoke softly and close to her ear.

His face scrunched as he paused…”Your love is to our benefit; though for me it feels like survival. Know that I see the bewitching light it reflects onto my life. And the choice of nature to bring it to me is a mystery to me. Know I choose it every day as my preference. I wanted to know the answers to sentiment, once I let it in. Something beyond the chemical. 

“You left no room for mystery,” she sighed, “I am not a sentimental idiot, but I could use words like tonight.  Words that assure me that you find love, our love, worth seeking always.  Because it doesn’t stay in the spot where you found it.  It’s a moving target, Sherlock.  The case that never ends. ”

“And you talk as if this bothers me,” his eyes closed as he grinned, laughing.

Her frown remained. Running his fingers down her jawline gently, he tugged at her chin to encourage her to look him in the eyes. She complied, searching his face in the dark.

“We are chemicals and blood and bones and everything you and I know so well. We are work and bills and needs. I can explain this all. I may know why you cry, so often it is because of my own mistakes and still be helpless to prevent it. But I will always try. That I promise you.” 

His thumb found her cheek wet. He stands suddenly, grabbing her hands and lifting her to stand.

“I don’t think we are fully appreciating this water.”  He faced her, holding both her hands as he stepped back into the water

“Sherlock, our clothes--”

“Will protect to our skin considering this is algae,” he smirked pulling her into the water.

She smirked back, following him.

They adjusted to the pull of undertow as small waves lapped higher and higher on and until they were up to their waists, leaving a glowing path in their wake.   She put her hands in the water, and as she swirled them around, the glow became almost too bright to stare at.  Sherlock mirrored her and they stood laughing, grinning at the water coming to life around them.  

She softened her laugh as she watched his face light up both literally and metaphorically, like a child with playing with fireflies on a summer eve.  He caught her gaze, asking in his eyes what she is thinking and finding he rather liked not knowing the answer as she surprised him once again.  She shifted into his arms, resting her head against his chest as his arms wrapped around her.  

“Elopement is an option, you know,” she murmured.

“We’ll talk about it,” he laughed, shaking her head off his chest before she joined him and they began playing in the water once again. 

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr prompt from cumberbabe-usa
> 
> three words: intense, magic, ocean
> 
> it got away from me fast. I was not in control.
> 
> Title from lyric in Oceans by Khalid


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